Posts tagged: corn

My idea of “comfort food” will always be my late grandmother’s cooking: velvet-y smooth mashed potatoes, thick creamed corn, and sweet homemade applesauce. That food wasn’t just delicious; it was literally an extension of my grandmother’s overflowing love for her family.

While the meal below lacked the nostalgic qualities of that kind of comfort food, it had all of the other elements: simple, home-cooked, warm, filling, and familiar.

First up was this Southwestern Corn Pudding.

Dave and I both went wild over this recipe. The sweet corn, the touch of breading, the tiny kick from the jalapeno – it was all wonderful!

All I did to make this was pulse some corn kernels in the food processor until they were mostly pulp, and then mixed in some whole kernels. Then I stirred in eggs, plain Greek yogurt, cilantro, and jalapeno. Poured the mixture into a baking dish dusted with breadcrumbs, and 40 minutes later…voila!

Very comforting.

Southwestern Corn Pudding
Slightly adapted from Vegetarian Times (I can’t find it online, so no link!)
Serves 6-8 (depending on whether it’s more of a main or a side dish)

4. Transfer to prepared baking dish. Bake 30-40 minutes or until top is golden.

**Alternatively, this dish can be made in small individual ramekins, for added cuteness.

We enjoyed our Southwestern Corn Pudding with a grand serving of these absolutely-positively-never-eat-them-from-a-can-again-delicious Mapled Baked Beans.

Would you believe me if I told you this was the first time I made my own baked beans??? Shameful, I know!

This recipe from Angela is done in the slow cooker, which is perfect for this 9-to-5 gal. I used a mixture of Great Northern beans, sweet onion, molasses, maple syrup, mustard, apple cider vinegar, tomatoes, sea salt, and dried cranberries. Check out Angela’s post for the full recipe with measurements.

I cooked the whole mixture on low for 7 hours, and then had my slow cooker switch to its “warm” setting for another 2 hours or so, until I got home from work and cooked the Corn Pudding. The beans didn’t burn at all, and there was ample time for the flavors to fully meld together.

These beans were especially delicious served over roasted sweet potatoes.

And since there were plenty of leftovers, I was able to enjoy this comforting meal over and over again! Can’t beat that!

What’s your idea of comfort food?

AND

What’s something you’re embarrassed to admit that you’ve never made yourself, instead eating it only from a can or a package? Like I said, I can’t believe I relied solely on canned baked beans for so long!